ECCLESIASTES 1
Solomon’s authors another book verse 1- 3
The words of the Preacher (Solomon)
the son of David
king of Jerusalem
Vanity of vanities – says the Preacher
vanity of vanities all is vanity
What profit hath a man of all his labor
which he takes under the sun?
Times and seasons remain the same verse 4- 8
One generation passes away
AND another generation comes
But the earth abides for ever
the SUN also arises – AND the sun goes down
AND hastens to his place where he arose
the WIND goes toward the south
AND turns about unto the north
it whirls about continually
AND the wind returns again
according to his circuits
All the RIVERS run into the sea – YET the SEA is not full
to the place from whence the rivers come
thither they return again
All things are full of LABOR – man cannot utter it
the EYE is not satisfied with seeing
NOR the EAR filled with hearing
Nothing new under the sun verse 9- 11
The thing that has been – it is that which shall be
AND that which is done is that which shall be done
AND there is no NEW thing under the sun
Is there anything whereof it may be said
See, this is NEW?
it has been already of OLD time
which was before us
There is no remembrance of FORMER things
NEITHER shall there be any remembrance of things
that are to come with those that shall come after
Solomon states his search while king verse 12- 18
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem
AND I gave my heart to SEEK and SEARCH out by wisdom
concerning all things that are done under heaven
this SORE TRAVAIL has God given
to the sons of man to be
EXERCISED therewith
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun
AND – behold – all is VANITY and VEXATION of spirit
that which is crooked cannot be made straight
AND that which is wanting cannot be numbered
I communed with mine own heart
saying
Lo – I am come to great estate
AND have gotten MORE wisdom than all they
that have been before me in Jerusalem
yea – my heart had GREAT EXPERIENCE
of wisdom and knowledge
AND I gave my heart to KNOW wisdom
and to KNOW madness and folly
I PERCEIVED that this also is VEXATION of spirit
for in much wisdom is much GRIEF
AND he that increases knowledge increases SORROW
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 Vanity of vanities, saith, the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. (1892 “vanity” [hebel] means emptiness, vain, unsatisfactory, breath, vapor, idol, meaninglessness emptiness, or what is of no use on the basis of being futile and lacking in content.
DEVOTION: The word was used in yesterday’s devotional in relationship to beauty. We can worship beauty but that is not what God wants us to worship. We should be worshiping the LORD who made everything beautiful. Look at HIS creation.
Today we are looking at Solomon who asked the LORD for wisdom to lead his people. The LORD granted him wisdom greater than any man living. The LORD granted him the kingdom. Solomon was a young man who was leading a kingdom of followers of the LORD.
However, even they were rebellious. He had many trials in his reign. One of the main trials seems to be related to multiplying wives, horses and wealth. All these things were forbidden as a king in the book of Deuteronomy in chapter 17.
He was supposed to write out his own copy of the law. We never read of him doing this. HE wants all HIS servants to be dependent on HIM. Those who are not dependent on HIM think they can handle life on their own. God knows that we can’t handle life on our own or HE would have never sent HIS Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.
When we look around us here in America, how many things do we see that don’t satisfy us. It seems like many Christians are like the rest of the world looking for a cheap thrill. We can gamble. We can drink. We can do many things the world does and not find satisfaction because they are not what the LORD wants us to do.
Solomon had all the money, wives and power he could ever wish for and yet he was not satisfied. Satisfaction only comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit and using our spiritual gift for the glory of God. That is what brings true joy in our lives. All else brings emptiness.
We collect many things but in the end we realize that they are empty of meaning. The Preacher is trying to get us to understand that only one thing is important – our relationship to God. Be willing to lose everything to gain a proper relationship with HIM.
CHALLENGE: What empty things are you craving? Listen to the LORD and seek HIM.)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
:13 “And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised.”
The New King James Version
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Set – 5414 יָתַן, יָתַן, נָתַן [nathan /naw·than/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 1443; GK 3851 and 3852 and 5989; 2008 occurrences; AV translates as “give” 1078 times, “put” 191 times, “deliver” 174 times, “made” 107 times, “set” 99 times, “up” 26 times, “lay” 22 times, “grant” 21 times, the11 times, “send” 11 times, “recompense” 11 times, “appoint” 10 times, “shew” seven times, and translated miscellaneously 167 times. 1 to give, put, set. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend. 1A2 to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate. 1A3 to make, constitute. 1B (Niphal). 1B1 to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned. 1B2 to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted. 1C (Hophal). 1C1 to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up. 1C2 to be put upon. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995).
DEVOTION: One of the characteristics of a successful person is discipline. The individual determines a goal and sets their energies to accomplish that purpose. Solomon was a powerful example of that mentality as he ruled over Israel. As a young man he was selected to replace his father on the throne and to rule God’s people. (1 Kings 1) Solomon set his goals to be the king of Israel and to make Israel great for his God. He accomplished this as the Lord gave him abilities and wisdom beyond all others. Ecclesiastes also reminds us that when that discipline is used wrongly it can develop into areas of temptation and pride. Solomon excelled in wisdom and expertise in all areas of knowledge and as he grew older he experimented to find fulfillment to life. He forgot the key matter, relationship with God! The pursuit of a goal is necessary but Solomon reminds us to maintain the primary relationship with Christ.
CHALLENGE : As you pursue your dreams, do not forget the foundation from which you launched from. Stay grounded to Christ and His word! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. (7475 “vexation” [ra’yown] means longing, striving, an effortful attempt to attain a goal, desire, striving after wind, vain desire, or chasing after.)
DEVOTION: We can set our heart on something that is not worth the effort sometimes. This is what happened in the life of Solomon. He was looking for answers as to why some people can’t find answers to all the questions they have regarding life.
He found out that sometimes there are no answers to what some people do. He found out that sometime you can study something and still not understand why people do what they do. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for things that happen around us.
We can study until we are so tired because we can never figure out everything that happens to us in life. Sometimes it seems like a waste of energy to try to figure out why people do what they do when they know better.
God wants us to have wisdom regarding HIS word and what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us and this only comes through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our life. Our prayer life is important regarding this issue.
We have to understand that God gives us the wisdom we need to live a life that is pleasing to HIM. HE gives it through the study of the Bible and the ministry of the Holy Spirit only.
Biblical wisdom can only come through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of a genuine believer.
CHALLENGE: Concentrate on what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach you through the ministry of HIS teaching us and to not be concerned with what HE is not teaching us.
________________________________________________________
: 18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow. (3708 “grief” [ka’ac] means provocation, vexation, anger, irritation, sorrow or agitate.)
DEVOTION: The more we know the more we are held accountable for. Too often we think that more knowledge is good but the author of the book of Ecclesiastes realized that he, Solomon, had to use the knowledge the LORD had given him.
Solomon used the knowledge the LORD had given him to explore everything he could possibly explore. As we read through this book we see that he thought that if he had more money, wives, possessions and traveling he did he would be satisfied. This was a false trail.
At the end of his journey, he realized that the only hope was found in God. God was the one who gave meaning to life. Otherwise, it was empty. It took him many years to discover this truth. He wanted to share his findings with others. He warned all of us that earthly treasures don’t satisfy.
One of the other facts he learned was that with more knowledge came more responsibility. He had to lead his people in the right direction. He had to show them an example to follow.
When he realized others were following him it caused him sorrow. He knew that he would fail. He knew that he was not going to be a good leader at times. He knew that they knew that he wasn’t obeying all the commands of the LORD. This brought vexation of his spirit.
We have to realize that the more we grow in the LORD, people look to us for an example. Right wrong or indifferent this is true. The more knowledge we have of the Word of God, the more accountable we are to the LORD and others. We need to pray for extra help as we grow in the LORD and HE will give it to us.
CHALLENGE: What type of example are we setting for those around us? Do we manifest what we have learned from the Word of God? Ask the LORD for help in this area of our life.)
______________________________________________________________
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
________________________________________________________
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Elohim (Sovereign, Creator) verse 13
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Preacher (son of David) = Solomon verse 1, 2, 12
King of Jerusalem verse 1, 16
Man verse 8
King of Israel verse 12
Sons of man verse 13
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Vanity verse 2
Not satisfied verse 8
Know madness verse 17
Know folly verse 17
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Seek out wisdom verse 13, 16, 17, 18
Knowledge verse 16, 18
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Solomon wrote this book verse 1- 18
Preacher
Son of David
King of Jerusalem
Earth abides forever
Eye is not satisfied
Ear is not satisfied
No new thing under the sun
King over Israel in Jerusalem
Gave his heart to seek and search for wisdom
All is vanity and vexation of spirit
Great experience of wisdom and knowledge
Know wisdom and madness and folly
Vexation of spirit
Much wisdom is much grief
Increased knowledge increases sorrow
No new thing under the sun verse 9
Jerusalem verse 16
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
________________________________________________________________
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church, please use that method. Thank you.
_____________________________________________________________
QUOTES regarding passage
14–15 Even Christians, with a fuller revelation than Solomon had, still cannot see the whole plan, though faith enables them to see that in everything God works for good to those who love him (Rom 8:28). There is so much people cannot understand. Not only are people aiming at unsubstantial ideals, which blow away like the wind (v. 14), but their efforts to straighten things out and supply what seems to be lacking are continually disappointed (v. 15). Today we have straightened out many of the twists of the past and added many comforts to life; but as many of us have seen in our lifetime, in one moment a whole generation or some dominant group of rulers can revive the horrors of the past and destroy what is truly good and meaningful in life. (Wright, J. S. (1991). Ecclesiastes. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, pp. 1154–1155). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
___________________________________________________________
1:12–15. Solomon began his argument on the futility of human achievement by citing his own personal investigation into its value. Alluding to his wide opportunities for observation because of his position as the King of Israel (v. 12; cf. v. 16; 2:12), he stated that, aided by his surpassing wisdom and knowledge (1:13; cf. v. 16; 1 Kings 4:26–34), he had made a thorough (indicated by the use of the synonyms study and explore in Ecc. 1:13) and comprehensive investigation of all kinds of human activities (i.e., all that is done under heaven; cf. “under the sun,” v. 14). He concluded that they are all a heavy burden (v. 13, ‘inyan rā‘, “a bad or unpleasant task”; trans. “a miserable business” in 4:8 and “some misfortune” in 5:14) and thus futile or meaningless. In fact they are as useless as chasing after the wind, a graphic picture of effort expended with no results gained since no one can catch the wind by running after it. Solomon used this phrase nine times, all in the first half of the book (1:14, 17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9).
Solomon based this verdict on his observations which had shown him that human achievements leave much to be desired. Human effort and action cannot remedy all the irregularities or counteract all the deficiencies observable in the nature of things (1:14–15; cf. 7:13). (Glenn, D. R. (1985). Ecclesiastes. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 981). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
____________________________________________________________
Life doesn’t get easier if you try to run away from it (v. 14). All the works that are done “under the sun” never truly satisfy the heart. They are but “vanity and grasping for the wind” (v. 14, NKJV). Both the workaholic and the alcoholic are running away from reality and living on substitutes, and one day the bubble of illusion will burst. We only make life harder when we try to escape. Instead of running away from life, we should run to God and let Him make life worth living.
The ultimate door of escape is suicide, and Solomon will have something to say about man’s desire for death. Some specialists claim that 40,000 persons commit suicide in the United States annually, and an estimated 400,000 make the attempt. But once you have chosen to live and have rightly rejected suicide as an option, then you must choose how you are going to live. Will it be by faith in yourself and what you can do, or by faith in the Lord? (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Satisfied (p. 30). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
_________________________________________________________
1:14 striving after wind. One aspect of life’s vanity is its fleeting character. Like the wind, much of what is desirable in life cannot be held in one’s hand (cf. 1:14, 17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 5:16; 6:9). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ec 1:14). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
__________________________________________________________
Ver. 14. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, &c.] All things done by the Lord, that were on the earth, and in it, and in the sea; he considered them, and endeavoured to search into the nature of them; and did attain to a very great knowledge of them, so that he could speak of them to the instruction of others; see 1 Kings 4:33 and all that were done by men, by their head, or by their hands; all that were written or wrought by them; all their philosophical works and experiments, and all their mechanic operations; as well as all their good and bad works, in a moral sense; so the Targum, “I saw all the deeds of the children of men, which are done under the sun in this world.” And, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit; not only the things known, but the knowledge of them; it is mere vanity, there is nothing solid and substantial in it, or that can make a man happy; yea, on the contrary, it is vexatious and distressing; it is not only a weariness to the flesh to obtain it, but, in the reflection of it, gives pain and uneasiness to the mind: it is a breaking of the spirit of the man, as the Targum, Jurchi, and Alshech, interpret the phrase; it wastes and consumes his spirit, as well as his time, and all to no purpose; it is, as some ancient Greek versions and others render it, and not amiss, a feeding on windo; what is useless and uprofitable, and like labouring for that; see Hos. 12:1; Job 15:2; Eccl. 5:16 and so Aben Ezra. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 557). London: Mathews and Leigh)
_____________________________________________________________
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
____________________________________________________________
In 2015, Canada’s Supreme Court struck down a 22-year ban on assisted suicide. The next year, its parliament passed legislation allowing “MAID,” or Medical Assistance in Dying for those who suffer from terminal illness and whose death was “reasonably foreseeable.” Five years later, the “reasonably foreseeable” language was dropped, as was the requirement of terminal illness.
Today, ending one’s life with “medical assistance” simply requires a physician and a witness to agree that physical or mental suffering is such as “cannot be relieved under conditions that you (the patient) consider acceptable.” Next year, that will expand to include anyone with a mental illness, like PTSD or depression. There’s also talk about expanding the practice to include minors.
Soon, under Canadian law, someone accused of a crime “must possess the capacity to understand that his or her behaviour was wrong in order to be found guilty.” However, someone will not need the mental capacity to understand the implications of “medical assistance in dying” in order to choose death.
None of which, we are told, should alarm us. Proponents of assisted death always point to “safeguards,” such as physician approval, the uncoerced consent of the patient, or humane conditions. Certain stories are elevated, such as Betty Sanguin, an ALS patient who chose to end her life in a Manitoba church, surrounded by friends, family, and clergy, who secured permission for a MAID team to kill her in their sanctuary. Other stories are ignored.
Even in the so-called “safe” cases, a grave evil has been done. Life is sacred, a gift of God, and should never be thrown away. To intentionally end life in a church is not a blessing. It’s a distortion and a blasphemy.
For the most part, the realities of doctor-assisted death look nothing like the beatific best-case scenarios described in the sales pitch. In particular, there are culture-wide implications for human dignity and value, something that euthanasia advocates seem unable or unwilling to predict. Many begin to believe that their lives are unworthy of life, their volition stolen, their dignity degraded.
Last month in The Spectator, Yuan Yi Zhu described some of these stories in an article provocatively titled, “Why is Canada Euthanising the Poor?” In it, he described the real human cost of euthanasia laws and how the practice blurs the limits of consent:
Now, as long as someone is suffering from an illness or disability which ‘cannot be relieved under conditions that you consider acceptable’, they can take advantage of what is now known euphemistically as ‘medical assistance in dying’ (MAID for short) for free. … Soon enough, Canadians from across the country discovered that although they would otherwise prefer to live, they were too poor to improve their conditions to a degree which was acceptable.
His examples included an Ontario woman, who opted for assisted death because her disability benefits weren’t enough to cover smoke and chemical-free housing, and she was forced to live with crippling allergies. In Vancouver, another woman sought “medical aid in dying” when her debt kept her from affording the medication that would have alleviated chronic pain. The family of another 35-year-old disabled man discovered how appalling his living conditions were, only after he decided to end his own life. Tragically, by the time the government investigated the care facility and revoked its license, it was too late. As Zhu put it, “One may wonder how much autonomy a disabled man lying in his own filth had in weighing death over life.” (Breakpoint)
______________________________________________________________
Gideon is chosen to rule Israel.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. This is true in times of apostasy when God sometimes calls His mightiest servants from places of obscurity and gives them faith to believe Him. He works great deliverance through them.
This is certainly the case with Gideon who exclaims that he is from the weakest family in Manasseh and is the youngest in that family. Yet he is devoted to the Lord and, therefore, usable for God’s purposes. (Quiet Walk)
______________________________________________________
CHINA: FIRSTFRUITS OF AN ANTICHRIST SURVEILLANCE GOVERNMENT (Friday Church News Notes, November 30, 2018, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The following is excerpted from “China Mandates Surveillance as Religious Persecution Rises,” an interview with Bob Fu, The Stream, Nov. 14, 2018: “President Xi Jinping considers Christians one of the greatest threats to his power. Underground churches are listed as one of the ‘new black five’ national security threats in China. It’s new under this president for churches to be classified as a national security threat. The government-sanctioned churches that are allowed to exist right now have unique restrictions. Each church has to install a facial-recognition camera in front of the pulpit. The purpose is to identify certain people in the congregation. Many classes of people are banned from entering into any church. These include young people under 18 years old, college students, doctors or medical professionals, civil servants, military members and educators. If they’re found, immediately their boss or a government official will be speaking with them. These are huge ramifications right now. It really began after President Xi Jinping took office in 2012. He is now nicknamed ‘Emperor Xi’ since he successfully removed his term limits in March of this year. When he took power, the mass forced demolition of crosses started in Zhejiang province. That area is called the Jerusalem of China. … These are government-sanctioned churches. The house churches do not have buildings or a cross. … On February 1 of this year, a new law called ‘Regulations on the Administration of Religious Affairs’ took effect. Things have become dramatically even worse. Bible-burning campaigns are happening across China. … China is perhaps the world’s most sophisticated surveillance police state. It’s beyond anything the U.S. does. Some of these efforts are aided by greedy American companies. … Apple decided to remove all virtual private networks from Apple Stores across China. They have a segregated Chinese version of the Apple iCloud. Supposedly this China iCloud is still part of Apple, offering iTunes content. But it’s totally controlled by the Chinese government. Cisco and Google are similar. China has the most cameras in the whole world, on every street corner. These facial recognition cameras are part of their dynamic monitoring system. They can follow you anywhere. If you drive a car, they can quickly track your license plate. If you buy a train or bus ticket, as soon as you swipe your card, you are classified. I noted how China has five categories of dangerous people. Now China is also building the world’s largest so-called ‘social credit’ system. If you get a traffic ticket, then one point of morality is deducted. If you are found in the underground church, your social score is essentially zero. You lose your right to buy airplane tickets. Last week, I was in South Korea attending a house church leadership conference. But 240 out of 300 church leaders were blocked in Chinese airports, even including Hong Kong, and declared as national security threats. They were not allowed to board the flight when they checked in to Customs.”
_______________________________________________________________
BEIJING DEBUTS PLAN TO MONITOR BEHAVIOR OF EVERY RESIDENT (Friday Church News Notes, November 30, 2018, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The following is excerpted from “Beijing Debuts,” Breitbart.com, Nov. 23, 2018: “Beijing plans to reward and punish its residents based on data that will be collected from various departments monitoring citizens’ social behavior, according to a detailed ‘action plan’ posted on Monday to the city’s municipal website. By the beginning of 2020, the announcement declares, China’s capital city will have all residents officially locked into the permanent surveillance program, part of a broader effort to have every Chinese citizen rated on a ‘social credit system’ decreeing what public services a person can use based on their obedience to laws and loyalty to the communist regime. The government will use the data collected to assess citizens’ behavior to decide if an individual is law-abiding and ‘trustworthy’ to the Communist Party. Residents who behave properly in the eyes of the Chinese government will receive high credit scores, while residents who misbehave will receive low scores, causing them to lead more difficult lives. ‘Efforts will be made to build a market supervision mechanism with corporate credit as the core,’ states Beijing’s municipal website, adding that it will explore the implementation of what it calls ‘the personal integrity project,’ which will utilize residents’ credit scores for ‘market access, public services, tourism,’ and ‘fields such as entrepreneurship and job hunting.’ Higher scores can also open the ‘green channel,’ which will expedite residents’ applications for higher quality ‘education and medical resources.’ ‘Those who violate the law and lose trust will pay a heavy price,’ adds the government website, stating that it will ‘improve the blacklist system’ and that residents will find themselves ‘limited everywhere, and difficult to move’ if they are deemed untrustworthy by the Communists in control.”
_________________________________________________________
We are to live righteously before our fellow man and to offer God the sacrifice of praise.
INSIGHT
Praise is good for the soul and pleasing to God. The writer of Hebrews says,” let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (v. 15). Again, in Psalm 33:1, we read: “Praise from the upright is beautiful.” If you want to do something that pleases the Lord, praise Him. In addition, however, our actions must follow: “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (v. 16). The praise of our lips must be followed with the godly pattern of our lives. Note that both praise and doing good are sacrifices with which God is well pleased. (Quiet Walk)
_________________________________________________________
TEN TESTS: TESTS 7-10
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16
Seventh, there is a desire to please God and to live a good life because of what He has done for us. The realization of His love should make us not only hate sin, but also desire to live a holy, godly life. If you do desire this, you love God, because our Lord said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me” (John 14:21).
Eighth, we have a desire to know Him better and to draw closer to Him. Do you want to know God better? Is it one of the greatest ambitions of your life to draw closer to Him, that your relationship to Him may be more intimate? If you have within you the faintest desire to know God better and are doing something about it, I say you love God.
I will put the ninth point negatively, and yet it may be the most important of all. I am referring to a conscious regret that our love to Him is so poor, along with a desire to love Him more. If you are unhappy at the thought that you do not love God as you ought to, that is a wonderful proof that you love Him.
My last test is that we have a delight in hearing these things and in hearing about Him. That is one of the best tests. There are certain people in the world—alas, there are many—who find all that we have been saying utterly boring; all that we have been saying would be strange to them. Such people are spiritually dead; they know nothing about this. So whatever the state of your emotions may be, if you can tell me quite honestly that you enjoy listening to these things and hearing about them, if you can say that there is something about them that makes things different, then I say that you know the love that God has for you.
A Thought to Ponder: Is it one of the greatest ambitions of your life to draw closer to Him? (From The Love of God, pp. 152-15, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones).
__________________________________________________________
A Test for False Prophets
“Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.” (Deuteronomy 13:4)
Our text for today seems somewhat out of place, for it is tucked into a passage dealing with false prophets, instructing the people of Israel in ways to detect one who would lead them into false worship. The penalty was death, “because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt” (v. 10). The purpose was both purification and example, for “all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you” (v. 11).
The chief test of a prophet was not his ability to perform signs and wonders (v. 1). Elsewhere the test of total, lifelong accuracy was applied. “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously….that prophet shall die” (Deuteronomy 18:22, 20). A more immediate test lay in the absolute harmony of the prophet’s message and deeds with the revealed Word of God, and the wholehearted commitment to the Lord Himself. This test takes the form of the holy standard set forth in our text.
Note that an inward attitude will be expressed, as given in the six action verbs. If we are to please God, we must “walk after” or “pursue” Him, and “fear” or “reverence” Him in all things. Furthermore, we must “keep” His commandments, striving to “obey” Him on every issue He addresses. He expects such a one to “serve” Him: to do His bidding. Finally, we must “cleave” or “cling” to Him, holding fast to Him in an ever-deepening relationship. To do less is to fail the test used to discern false prophets, incurring at the least His displeasure, at the most His wrath. JDM
____________________________________________________________
The Penalty of Unbelief
“I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.” (Jude 1:5)
This is the first example Jude provides of those who refused to respond to God’s leading and gracious provision. Israel witnessed stunning miracles, and a few very public judgments, before the 12 spies were sent out to investigate the Promised Land.
For example, the Passover was a wonderful, fearful event. God showed His hand both in salvation of those who obeyed and in swift judgment on those who refused.
Israel’s exodus from Egypt was unique. Not only did God enrich the nation in one day but demonstrated His awesome power at the parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army. Everyone in Israel observed this. They all experienced God’s power firsthand.
On the way to Mount Sinai, the bitter water of Marah was made sweet for them to drink even after they complained—bitterly. The daily miracle of the manna was given to feed them, and water was provided out of the rock for them to drink. God’s grace and mercy were just about everywhere.
Even after the nation had arrived at the holy mountain and the fearful giving of the Law was accomplished in their sight, Israel rebelled with the celebration of the golden calf. God’s judgment was swift, and thousands died. The nation did not learn their lesson even though they had a revival while giving, building, and dedicating the tabernacle for worship. After all that, Moses sent out the 12 men to “spy out the land.”
When the nation refused to trust God, He condemned everyone 20 and older to die in the wilderness, except for faithful Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 14:29-30). “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
_________________________________________________________________
Let’s not deceive ourselves. Nothing we think of as new is going to give us a way out of the brokenness. That stuff is all meaningless. No change of job, no increased income, no new home, no new electronic device, or no new spouse is going to make things better inside of you. This is what Solomon is lamenting. (p. 118, The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler)
___________________________________________________________
We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.